The University of Reading’s Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell, will reflect on his experience of being the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools to provide an insider’s account of where power really lies in our education system. Sir David’s talk is presented as the Inaugural Lecture of the new BA in Education Studies.

Each annual lecture will aim to shine a spotlight on the special interests relevant to this programme, which started in September 2017. The programme’s focus on inclusion enables its students to explore issues such as creativity in learning, diversity, social justice and disability, as well as many fundamental moral and social questions in education: Why are there differences in educational attainment for different students? Is there a link between health and learning? Do all citizens have the right to an education?